Baseball Hosts USC Upstate Tuesday Night
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina baseball team wraps up its three-game homestand on Tuesday night, welcoming USC Upstate to Founders Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Tuesday’s game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus. All games also will be broadcast on the Gamecocks Sports Network from Learfield with Derek Scott and Tommy Moody on the call.
The Gamecocks are coming off a series split with LSU, winning the opener, 13-5, with help from Ethan Petry’s eight RBI and two home runs and falling in Friday’s game, 8-7.
PARKING INFORMATION
Shuttle parking for the University of South Carolina baseball season will be operational at the Key Road Gravel Lot (1105 Key Road). Shuttle begins two (2) hours prior to first pitch and continues until 1 hour after the game.
For GPS purposes, the address for the Key Road Gravel Lot is 1105 Key Road, Columbia, SC 29201.
GAME DAY PARKING INFORMATION (including public game day lots (PGDL: $10/$5 per game). All gameday lots are cashless. Please have a debit card or credit card ready for payment upon entry into parking lots.
Weekdays
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Stadium Opens: 6:00 p.m.
Business Lots Open: 5/5:30 p.m.
Lot 1, STDM, HDG PGDL Open: 5 p.m.
Bus Shuttle for Patrons: 5 p.m.
SCOUTING USC UPSTATE
The Spartans swept Longwood this past weekend, sweeping a doubleheader on Thursday and winning the series finale on Friday. Troy Hamilton drove in six runs in the series-opening, 18-2 win over the Lancers. Hamilton leads the team with a .326 batting average while Grant Sherrod has eight home runs and 38 RBI. Upstate is 8-1 in Big South play, it’s best conference start in program history.
SERIES VS. USC UPSTATE
The Gamecocks hold a 14-1 series advantage over the Spartans heading into Tuesday’s game. The two teams played in Fluor Field on March 8 with Carolina winning 19-1. Gavin Casas drove in five runs in the win while Cole Messina was 4-for-6 at the plate and Ethan Petry drove in three runs.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Tuesday
South Carolina Matthew Becker (So. LHP) 2-0, 3.44 ERA, 18.1 IP, 10 BB, 26 SO
USC Upstate Caleb Costa (Fr. RHP) 0-0, 5.79 ERA, 9.1 IP, 6 BB, 12 SO
GAMECOCKS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The University of South Carolina baseball team is ranked in all six major polls after the week of April 10. The Gamecocks are ranked No. 3 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, No. 5 in the Baseball America, USA Today and Perfect Game polls, No. 6 in the D1Baseball.com poll and No. 7 in the NCBWA poll. The Gamecocks face No. 4 Vanderbilt (D1Baseball) this weekend in Nashville.
PETRY NAMED SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
University of South Carolina freshman outfielder Ethan Petry has been named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, the league office announced this afternoon (Monday, April 10).
Petry, who has been named Freshman of the Week three times this season, earns Player of the Week in the league after another monster week at the plate, highlighted by a Thursday night performance where he hit two home runs and drove in eight in Carolina’s 13-5 win over LSU. Petry hit a two-run home run off LSU’s Paul Skenes, the first off the LSU pitcher this season, and added a grand slam in a five-run fifth inning. Petry’s eight runs are the most by a Gamecock since Adam Mathews drove in eight against College of Charleston in 2011. Petry had a single, walked and scored a run in the 5-0 win over North Carolina on Tuesday and had an RBI with a single and run scored in Friday’s game against LSU. Petry currently is tied for the SEC lead with 51 RBI to go along with 15 home runs and a .442 batting average.
Petry’s 15 home runs are just two off Carolina’s freshman record (17), set by Justin Smoak in the 2006 season.
RPI WATCH
With 32 games in the books, it’s time to start looking at the RPI. The Gamecocks currently are third in those rankings, one of four SEC teams in the top five. Carolina currently is 19-1 at home and 7-3 on the road. Carolina has three-game series remaining against No. 1 Kentucky, No. 6 Arkansas, No. 7 Vanderbilt and No. 8 Florida.
GAMECOCKS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
The Gamecocks lead the nation with 76 home runs this season. Gavin Casas and Ethan Petry are tied for fourth in the nation with 15 home runs … USC is fifth in the nation with 309 runs scored … Carolina is third in the nation in drawing walks with 206 and fourth in the country with 77 hit by pitches … The Gamecocks’ .437 on-base percentage is fifth in the country … On the mound, Carolina is fourth in earned-run average at 3.17 … Ethan Petry is tied for second with 51 RBI … The .875 winning percentage is the nation’s best.
UP NEXT
Carolina heads to Nashville, Tenn., and Hawkins Field for a three-game set at No. 4 Vanderbilt Friday, April 14 through Sunday, April 16. All three games will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
